


we might end up real close

by coupe_de_foudre



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Non-Verbal ways to show you love someone, POV Outsider, Possessive Eddie Diaz, Relationship Reveal, That's it that's the plot, everyone knew anyways, no beta we die like men, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29243601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coupe_de_foudre/pseuds/coupe_de_foudre
Summary: “Always gotta play the damn hero,” Eddie’s muttering now, already ripping his jacket off and slinging it around Buck’s shoulders. It’s not quite a blanket, like Bobby had had in mind, but Buck takes it gratefully and flashes Eddie his most charming smile.“It’s what I do best.”aka. Bobby isn't completely oblivious to these two fools in love
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 450





	we might end up real close

**Author's Note:**

> as the title suggest, this is a dumb fic based entirely on that line but from bobby's pov because he's the biggest buddie shipper there is (and totally responsible for them getting together, sorry not sorry)
> 
> i wrote this in like an hour for no reason whatsoever other than seeing a list of non-verbal ways to say 'i love you' and picturing buddie so apologies if this sucks....

Never before had Bobby considered the true implications his words might have. Especially not to one of his team, not when he’s just trying to soothe differences for the better of everyone around.

When he told Buck that he needs to learn how to play nice, reminded him that this was one team, he hadn’t expected such a dramatic shift in dynamics between Buck and the newest member of their team, Eddie Diaz.

“You’re badass under pressure, brother.” Eddie smiles. Bobby doesn’t miss the shy duck of Buck’s head.

“Me?”

“Hell yeah, you can have my back any day.”

Buck shifts awkwardly and Bobby strains to hear what he says. “Yeah or, y’know, you could… you could have mine.”

Eddie snorts, holding his hand out to Buck. “Deal.”

Bobby chooses this moment to join them, smiling proudly at them both. “Nice work, fellas. Glad you both made it out of there.”

Buck turns to direct his smile towards Bobby. “Guy’s a professional, Cap.” he shoots another fond glance Eddie’s way, their hands still joined between them, “I was never really worried.”

Before anybody can say anything in response, the ambulance explodes in a burst of flames, windshield popping out, glass shattered across the road. Bobby bristles, Buck flinches. Eddie… Eddie does nothing.

Bobby and Buck both turn to look at him, and there’s a knowing smile teasing at the corners of Eddie’s mouth as he tilts his head. “You guys hungry?” he asks, but his eyes never leave Buck’s and Bobby knows the question is actually directed towards him. He shakes his head, leaving the two of them to it and hoping beyond all hope that nothing bad can come of this new development.

***

Bobby isn’t one to pry into other people’s lives. That doesn’t, however, mean that changes go unnoticed by him.

Buck and Eddie have been spending a lot more time together. It’s obvious, really, in the way that they’re much more comfortable around each other compared to when they first met. Buck’s met Eddie’s kid – in fact, by the sounds of it, Christopher has already fallen for Buck because Eddie is constantly complaining about how he loves “his Buck” more than his own dad.

Everyone else finds it hilarious. Buck, especially. Bobby hasn’t missed the way his smile softens when he speaks about Christopher, though, and he just knows that this kid’s adoration means more to Buck than he’ll ever openly admit.

“Hey, you good?” Eddie’s voice cuts through Bobby’s thoughts, but he’s not talking to him. Instead, he’s walked straight by the table Bobby is sat at and is flopping down on the couch beside Buck. There’s a glass of water in his hand and he passes it over to Buck without saying anything, Buck nodding before taking the glass and immediately gulping its contents down.

“Thanks.” Buck smiles at Eddie, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. Eddie just takes the now empty glass from him, placing down by his feet and leaning further into the couch. Their shoulders are pressed together, Buck instinctively leaning closer to Eddie, and Bobby can’t help but wonder if either of them have even talked about their feelings.

Maybe it’s nothing, maybe they’re just really close friends, but Bobby doubts that as he watches Eddie slide his arm around the back of the couch, his fingers brushing a tad too close to the hem of Buck’s collar.

***

It was a rough call. They’d almost lost a young girl but Buck had dragged her out of the water just in time for the paramedics to save her.

Buck is drenched head to toe, clothes stuck to his skin as he shivers his way back to the truck once the paramedics had given him a once over, making sure he wasn’t hurt. Bobby stands to help him, already going to find a spare blanket, but Eddie beats him to it; arms held open wordlessly as Buck just collapses into the hug, wet hands clinging to Eddie’s back as he buries his face into the crook of his neck.

Eddie doesn’t even seem to care about the cold or getting himself wet, stroking a hand through Buck’s hair and brushing it from his face as he whispers something that Bobby can’t quite make out. Buck smiles, though, and pulls away slightly.

“Always gotta play the damn hero,” Eddie’s muttering now, already ripping his jacket off and slinging it around Buck’s shoulders. It’s not quite a blanket, like Bobby had had in mind, but Buck takes it gratefully and flashes Eddie his most charming smile.

“It’s what I do best.”

Eddie shakes his head, hand resting on the small of Buck’s back as he leads them both back to the truck, back to the team. “It’s reckless. You could’ve gotten hurt.”

Buck bumps his shoulder into Eddie’s. “But I didn’t.”

Bobby sighs alongside Eddie, taking one of Buck’s hands and pulling him inside the truck. “Not this time. But, one of these days, you might not be so lucky.” he chastises and Eddie makes a noise of approval from behind Buck, who just laughs and pats Bobby’s shoulder.

“Ah, Cap, you don’t gotta worry about me.”

Bobby just quirks a brow, giving Buck his best unimpressed look. “It’s my job to worry about you.”

Apparently it’s not only his job, though. Which is slowly becoming clearer with each week. Bobby fights back a smile as Eddie sits himself down beside Buck and immediately starts fussing over him again, looking not unlike a mother hen as he takes care of the youngest member of their team.

***

“What the hell are you doing?” Bobby can’t help but ask, finding Buck snapping a selfie in the kitchen with a clear view of the dirty dishes behind him. It’s not the first time he’s caught Buck taking a picture of himself or whatever he’s currently doing today, but it is the first time he’s acted like this.

Buck flushes, quickly typing something out on his phone before dropping it onto the counter. “I- uh, Eddie’s missing work.” Right, Bobby thinks, he’s missing _work._

“What, so you’re sending him pictures of dishes?”

Surprisingly, Buck seems to get more flustered as he bites his lip. “I was just sending him updates. Y’know, of what we’re all doing.”

Bobby really wants to point out that Buck hasn’t taken any pictures of the rest of the team, just himself, but he swallows the comment down and instead lets out an exasperated sigh. “Eddie’s sick. I’m sure the last thing he wants to be thinking about right now is work.”

Buck doesn’t say anything, not that he gets a chance to since his phone pings with an incoming message. Making a grab for it, Buck unlocks the phone and bursts into a wide grin at whatever Eddie’s sent back. Bobby knows it’s from Eddie because Buck hasn’t smiled like that over anybody else (not since Abby, at least).

He decides not to push the topic further, leaving Buck to text away as he grabs a bottle of water and walks away with a shake of his head.

***

“Okay, pizza tonight, guys!” Hen cries, smiling as she joins them upstairs. She has the take-out menu in her hand, dropping it onto the table they’ve all crowded around. Buck’s not there yet, still showering after their last call.

“Well we all know what we’re having,” Chim says, popping a chip from the bowl on the table into his mouth, “just waiting on Buck.”

Eddie waves his hand dismissively, “Nah, Buck will have his usual. Spinach and ricotta.”

Hen raises an eyebrow that, already dialling the pizza place. Nobody questions him, though.

And when Buck finally returns, just as the food is being delivered, Bobby isn’t surprised that Buck takes one look at his pizza and smiles over at Eddie. “Thanks, man.” he says, as though the possibility that anyone else had ordered it doesn’t even cross his mind.

Eddie waves his hand in a way that says, ‘don’t mention it’ and he opens his own box to grab a slice of his pizza. “I still think you should try this.” Eddie suggests, as Buck settles himself into the seat next to him. Clearly it’s not the first time Eddie’s said that, not if the exasperated look on Buck’s face is anything to go by.

Bobby almost, _almost_ , chokes on his food when Buck just opens his mouth and lets Eddie lean in, guiding his slice of pizza in and laughing when Buck takes a bite. The cheese is stringy, pulling stubbornly from the pizza to Buck’s mouth before snapping midway and coating Buck’s face. Eddie doesn’t seem to think twice as he reaches out to wipe the stray cheese away, thumb teasing at the corner of Buck’s mouth, and he snorts when Buck sticks his tongue out to lick at Eddie’s thumb with a smile.

Chimney groans quietly next to Bobby, taking a bite of his pizza and muttering, “Jesus, get a room.” The two that the comment is directed towards don’t appear to hear him, but Bobby does and he lets out a small chuckle. He isn’t even sure whether these two are a _thing_ yet (and, yes, there’s no ‘if’ about it, it’s bound to happen) but he sure hopes they get their acts together soon if not. There’s just no way two people can be that oblivious.

***

“Are you single?”

They’re holding a small charity event at the station and, naturally, Buck has managed to draw attention to himself. A woman, blonde hair flowing down over her shoulders and manicured nails dancing down Buck’s bicep, has taken a special interest in him.

Buck appears to be uncomfortable, though, and he casts a worried glance around the station as he avoids meeting the woman’s eyes. “Uh- I have to… go and get something.” he says, lie more obvious than the sky being blue. The woman rolls her eyes and steps closer, causing Buck to stumble backwards, and she lifts onto her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear.

Bobby gets up, not wanting to leave Buck in an awkward situation for much longer. But he’s stopped by a hand on his wrist, pulling him back into his seat. “Leave it, Bobby.” Athena smiles warmly at him, clearly understanding his thoughts. He goes to protests but she just gestures a few feet from Buck to where Eddie is stood, scowling. “He’s fine.” she reassures him, and he believes her.

Especially since Eddie has already started to walk towards Buck, confident swagger in his hips.

“Hey, man, everything good?” Eddie asks, hand coming to rest by Buck’s waist. Bobby can see the tension seep from Buck’s shoulders from here.

Buck nods. “Yeah, yeah it’s all good.” he tells Eddie, flashing him a sweet smile that Eddie returns. The woman looks put out, a calculating look directed at Eddie for only a moment longer before realisation seems to click and she flushes an embarrassed red, already making up an excuse to leave. Neither of them stop her, and Bobby tries hard not to smile when they both burst into quiet laughter once she’s gone.

“Thanks, man.” Buck leans into Eddie’s shoulder, subtle enough to go unnoticed by most people around them.

Eddie claps his free hand down over Buck’s chest, holding him close for a second too long to be anything platonic. His smile is warm, a fondness on his face that Bobby has only ever seen him direct towards Christopher. “Hey, I’ve got your back, remember?”

Buck laughs, his own hand coming up to close around the one Eddie still has over his chest. Their fingers lace together and, this time, Bobby can’t hold back his smile. “Yeah.”

They share eye contact, neither of them speaking for what feels like forever but, in reality, is probably less than a minute before, simultaneously, they both burst out into huge smiles. Eddie is shaking his head, laughter rippling from him with ease as Buck leans into him, his arm slinking around Eddie’s shoulder and drawing him into a hug.

“You’re a fucking idiot.” Buck says, and Athena chuckles from beside Bobby.

Eddie lifts his head from Buck’s chest, smirking up at him with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Yeah, only for you, though.”

The warmth that Bobby feels, watching as they share a chaste kiss in the corner of the room, is almost overwhelming. After months of pining and unspoken love, it’s a relief to finally know that these two have finally figured their shit out. They’re both idiots, he smiles, but least they’ve got each other.

He supposes he’ll have to get some forms out ready for tomorrow morning, but right now he’s happy just leaving them to it. There’s almost a sense of accomplishment too, he thinks, as Buck’s words all those months ago rang through his mind and he realises his insistence on them bonding had probably played a big part in the forming of this relationship.

_“You wanted us to bond, we might end up real close.”_

**Author's Note:**

> if you made it to the end of this fic, i love you! tysm for reading <3


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